Canberra Raiders keen to keep stars in capital as club targets record crowds

Raiders flyer Jordan Rapana is working to finalise a two-year contract extension with the Green Machine and his agent met Canberra boss Don Furner in Auckland last weekend.

The Raiders only have a handful of players who are off contract at the end of this year, but the club has already turned its attention to 2018 beyond.

There are 17 of the Raiders' biggest names whose contracts expire at the end of 2018, but Furner is keen to work with the players to build a long-term future.

Jarrod Croker, Blake Austin, Aidan Sezer, Junior Paulo, Josh Papalii, Shannon Boyd, Josh Hodgson and Jack Wighton are among players who have deals for the next two seasons.

But rather than sit on their hands, the Raiders want to be proactive and start early talks while the NRL drags out a decision on the size of the salary cap for future seasons.

Rapana, Shaun Fensom, Edrick Lee and Kato Ottio are all of contract at the end of 2017, but it's understood Rapana is close to a new deal.

Rapana said a new club record for the most tries in a season last year, scoring 23 tries and declared he would be "silly" to leave the Green Machine.

The Raiders reignited lime green passion last year, charging into the preliminary final for the first time since 1995.

Now they're targeting the biggest average crowd of the past 20 years as coach Ricky Stuart aims to take another step forward on the field.

The Raiders averaged 13,806 fans to their home games last season - the most they've drawn through the gates since 1995.

It translated into an almost $11 million boost to the ACT economy in 2016 through the expenditure of interstate fans on trips to the nation's capital to watch NRL games at Canberra Stadium.

The $10.8 million economic impact was the Raiders' best result since they started commissioning Nielsen to do the reports about 10 years ago It was a 143 per cent increase from 2015, largely thanks to hosting two NRL finals fixtures.

Almost 30,000 NRL fans stayed overnight in Canberra to attend Raiders games last season, with 86 per cent of them saying they would return.

In the 1994 and '95 seasons the Raiders averaged crowds of 17,392 and 15,683. It is still a club record, but Furner was hoping to return them to those levels this year with more than 14,500 members already signed up.

They've retained most of that squad and have added to it with a bit more depth, which could include former Queensland Origin star Dave Taylor.

Taylor is set to play in the Raiders' trial match next weekend but is yet to be offered an NRL contract for the season.

"You've got to remember back [in 1995] there was no Fox Sports, no competition, there was no other sport in town and you had to go to the footy to watch it," he said.

"We play attractive footy and we're winning, we'd love to get back to those crowds. The players love to play in front of them.

"We did a lot of stuff in the forecourt there [on game day last season] and made it a bit more engaging with the fans. [But] winning is the big thing [that brings crowds]."

Furner said the Nielsen report highlighted the importance of having Canberra-based teams in national competitions.

"If you have a good year the year before it does flow on in terms of membership, merchandise and people coming through the gate. So hopefully that will continue.